Surface-condenser



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. B. S. BENSON. SURFACE CONDE-NSER. No.346,348. Patnted July l27, 1886.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. S. BENSON. SURFACE ,GONDENSEIL No. 346,348. Patented July 27, 1886.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Nrrni) STATES Armar OrmeaO SURFACE-CQNDENSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 346,348, dated July27,1886.

Application filed March Q9, 1886. Serial No. 'l97,007.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S. BENSON, of Baltimore city and State ofMaryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSurface-Condensers, of which the following is a specilieation.

Figure l is a vertical cross-section through the line .e .e of Fig. 2.Fig. 2 is a side elevation with one end of the casein section. Fig. 3 isa side elevation from the opposite side with thelower part and left-handside broken away through the plane shown by broken line y y of Fig. 4.Fig. 4 is a plan view with the left-hand portion in section through thebroken line e .e of Fig. 3.

The object of my invention is to provide a surface-condenser forcondensing the stealn of steam engines, and which is especially designedfor steam traction-engines, such as are designed for plowing the westernprairie, where the scarcity of water makes the saving of the water bycondensing the steam a consideration of great importance.

My invention adaptsthc principle of condensing the steam between thinplates or lamimc, forming alternating steam and air ehambers, into whichair-chambers air is forced to cool the steam; and it consists in thepeculiar construction and arrangement ol' parts, which I will nowproceed to describe.

In the drawings, A represents the base of the condenser, which is in thenature of a case or tank, which forms a reservoir for the condensedwater, and from which the water is taken by pumps and fed again to theboiler. This base is lower on one side and end (scc Figs. l and 3) thanon the other, and has around its upper edge a flange that forms aseat,int0 which tits the main case B of theV condenser, which by theconstruction of the base is thus held in an inclined position tofacilitate the drainage of the condenser-cells, hereinafter described.

C is the condenser proper, which is composed of a great number ol' thinparallel plates of brass or other metal, which rest in a vertical plane,and which plates run transversely to the case B, leaving, however, spaceat both ends between the condenser and its case for the admission of thesteam and discharge ot' water, as hereinafter described. The plates a(No model.)

of the condenser are corrugated horizontally, and are fastened together,by solder or otherwise, in such relation that the hollows of thecorrugations ot' one plate face the hollows of the next adjacent plate,thus approximating the l'orm ot' a vertical series ot' horizontal tubes.These plates, furthermore, instead of being fastened together in pairs,are connected so that while two plates may be connected together at oneend said two plates at the other end are not connected to each other,but are joined to the next adjacent plates, thus forming a series ol"cells, which open alternately at opposite ends of the plates. Of thesecells those marked b (see Fig. 4) are for steam, and those marked c arefor air, the air serving to cool the plates, and thus condense thesteam. The air therefore goes into these cells at one end of the platesor one side of the condenser, andthe steam at the other. The steamcellsl) open into a space, b', at one side of the ease B, and at the otherside the said steamcells have nipples b2 b, that open into horizontalpipes D D, that lead the condensed water down into a trap-ch amber, E,in the base. The object of the upper pipe, D, is to permit any air thatmay get into the steam to also pass out, instead ot' collecting in thecells and choking the same. The pipes D D are arranged horizontally incase B,but at the end turn down into vertical position and havetheir-lower ends immersed in the water in the trap-chamber E. Theair-cells c Open at one end into a space around the pipes D D to receivethc air, which, alter passing through said cells, escapes at openings cci at top and bottom into the hollow trunks F F of the case B. To permitthe air to pass through these holes c ci from all the horizontal tubularspaces in the corrugated plates the corrugations have opposite theseholes eountersunk dents c, which at this point form by corrugations ofsmaller size a Vertical communicating passage between the cells, thatallows the air to pass out from all of the llutes or hollows ot' thecorrugated plates. The eorrugations of the plates a are as so Iardescribed horizontal; but I prefer also to wave or corrugate the platesin their length, as in Fig. 4, as well as in their width, so that therewill be a certain amount of spring or elasticity in the length of theplates to take IOO np expansion and contraction without buckling.

In making the corrugations which form the horizontal tubes it will beseen that these corrugations greatly stiffen the plates, and when theymove endwise from expansion and contraction they are liable to buckle orstrip their end connection; hence I wave the plates, so A'that asufiicient elasticityv is allowed in endwise movement to overcome thedifficulties mentioned, even though the plates be stiifened by thevcorrugations first named. At the side ot' the condenser Where the pipesD D are located the space about said pipes, it will be seen, is incommunication with the air-cells of the condenser, and said space isalso in communication with the horizontal conduit Gr in the bottom ofcase B, into which conduit a blast of air is forced by a blower, H, atthe end, which blast of air circulates through the air-cells of thecondenser, and after abstracting the heat from the steam escapes throughthe upper and lower trunks, F F.

Ou the opposite side of case B from the airconduit G is the steam-chestI, which receives the exhaust-steam, and which is divided into a numberof compartments by perforated partitions @,which break the force of theexhaust- 'steani and prevent too great shock ou the the case B with thesteam-space b at the open ends of the steam-cells b of the condenser,andl through said'eells the steam passes in opposite direction to themovement of thealternate currents of air.

On the side of the condenser-case B is constructed a hinged door, J,'which may be let down to give access to the pipes D and D. The plates aare also formed with indentations i', to cause the lutes or hollows toremain in proper relation to each other without slipping.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is-A l. Thecondenser C, composed of thin corrugated plates a, having their hollowsitted together to form tubular cells, opening alternately at oppositeends for air and steam, the alternate or air cells having openings c' c2and dented or countersunk corrugations c3, forming a communicatingchannel for all the tubes of the cells, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination of the condenser C,with alternating air and steamcells opening at opposite ends, the inclosiug-case B, leaving a spaceupon each side of the condenser, the pipes D D, aireonduit G,steam-chest I, and the air-trunks F F', substantially as and for thepurpose described.

3. A condenser composed of corrugated plates placed together to formtubular chambers, saidplates also being waved or corrugated at rightangles to the longitudinal corrugations, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

4. The combination, with the condenser and its ease B, with drainpipes,of the snbjacent base A, having an inclined seat 'for the case madelowest at the end having the drain-pipes, and a seal or trap chamber forsaid pipes, substantially as shown and described.

BENJAMIN s; Benson.

Vitnesses;

MURRAY I-LlNsoN, VILLIAM II. BERRY.

